Livestock and art auctions share little in common beyond a name. While even the most ferocious bidding war at Christie's or Sotheby's will remain stately and reserved, cattle auctions devolve into frantic, rapid-fire calls the moment the steer enter their pen. But as Werner Herzog once quipped, these steer sellers speak "the last poetry possible, the poetry of capitalism."

Filmmakers Matt Rankin and Mike Maryniuk explore this high-speed style of auctioneering with an equally high-speed style of animation in Cattle Call. This short film focusing on the verbal prowess of 2007 Man-Sask Auctioneer Champion, Tim Dowler, has already won numerous awards since it debuted in 2008 though it just recently arrived online. [Cartoon Brew]